"Why, what do you usually do when a British subject is stripped and beaten by a lot of dirty Dagoes?"
"I do not remember such an occurrence; so I have no precedent for dealing with this case. British subjects do not usually expose themselves, you see, to such odd adventures."
"Do understand that it is serious, sir," pursued Norman, whose fury had been gradually mounting in face of this official apathy. "What's the good of being an Englishman if one can't travel unmolested? What's the good of all those Dreadnoughts? What are they wasting coal in the North Sea for? Why don't they come here?"
"I must remind you," said the Consul, severely, "that you have no passport. I cannot possibly send for the Fleet if you have no passport. For all I know you might be Siamese."
"Perhaps there are light-haired Siamese mountaineers who have learnt English from Indian friends. '_Quien Sabe_?' as we said at Barcelona."
"It is a shame, sir--you are fooling me!" Norman's temper had quite gone.
"Have you only just found that out?" said the Consul, his eyes twinkling.
"I shall write to the _Times_," cried Norman, rising from his chair to leave.
"My brother," said the Consul, with a smile, "edits the correspondence columns of that august journal. Of course, he will print your letter. But he will also print"--here the Consul rose and his tone grew severer still--"a note to say that I treated you with all civility although you had no passport and no letter of introduction, and that you deceived me to my certain knowledge by telling half-truths."
"What about the jewelled buckle that was presented to you by the society?"
"And--a much more serious matter--what about the injunction to silence which was laid on you by the President?"
"You did not let me finish my story. What do you know about the jewelled buckle? How do you know there was an injunction to silence?"
"That injunction to silence you had better have obeyed, sir. However, you may rely on my discretion. If you insist on demanding reparation, I am bound to state your case before higher authorities, but I warn you you will get none, and you will endanger your life and perhaps mine. The present made to you was an ample reparation for your temporary inconvenience. I will give you a few minutes to consider the matter."